"Venix, can you hear us?"

  Leoric's voice was firm, sharp enough to draw anyone's attention. He waved his hand in front of Venix’s face, trying to snap him out of his daze.

  Venix blinked rapidly, his cheeks flushing as a faint cough escaped his throat, attempting to mask the sudden embarrassment tickling at him.

  "Apologies," Venix said hoarsely. "I was just lost in thought. What’s going on?"

  Grandmaster Ardyn fixed his gaze on Venix, his voice brimming with curiosity. "We need to ask about your Seed of Vulture. Can you explain what really happened?"

  Everyone in the room turned their attention to Venix, pens and paper ready in their hands, poised to document his every word.

  "Seed of Vulture?" Venix’s face reflected confusion, his brows knitting together as if trying to make sense of the words.

  Thinking of his Seed Origin, Venix suddenly realized something was different about himself.

  For reasons unknown, he could perceive everything with extraordinary clarity—the sights, the sensations, even the unseen tension emanating from the people in the room.

  "You..." Leoric paused, his sharp gaze boring into Venix, searching for answers. His voice lowered, trembling like a whisper that reverberated. "You’ve merged with the Seed of Vulture."

  Venix froze, his lips pressed into a tight line. The words swirled in his mind, shaking the foundation of his understanding and leaving ripples of uncertainty.

  "I... merged with the Seed of Vulture?" Venix muttered softly, almost questioning himself.

  Had he truly become one with the Seed of Vulture?

  Even Venix himself was unsure of how to explain it.

  Though he couldn't pinpoint what had happened, he did his best to answer each question posed to him, though his words often stumbled, as if searching for the right explanation.

  He recalled the burning desire for power coursing through every cell of his body, and how the Seed of Vulture had responded, granting him something indescribable.

  Venix’s case was extraordinarily rare and unique.

  In the annals of Numan World, losing one’s Astral Body typically marked the end of their journey.

  Even those who survived often found themselves trapped at an insurmountable barrier in their progression.

  But Venix was different. He had not only endured but had grown, breaking through boundaries long deemed unshakable.

  The Seed of Chaos was akin to a ticking time bomb within Venix, yet it also allowed him to progress rapidly despite lacking an Astral Body.

  With this trajectory, Venix conducted a thorough self-assessment and meticulously documented every detail he could recall.

  \---

  Grandmaster Ardyn led Venix to a special meditation chamber, one designed for utmost solitude, where only the two of them remained.

  "Begin meditating," Ardyn instructed. Venix quickly entered a meditative state.

  In his meditation, Venix felt his consciousness floating in a vast emptiness. He could only observe, a mere spectator within himself.

  Had he still possessed his Astral Body, he might have explored the depths of his soul more freely, uncovering the secrets buried within.

  But now, as he sank deeper into meditation, Venix discovered a shocking truth—he did have an Astral Body, after all!

  Or more accurately, the Seed of Vulture had become a second Astral Body for him.

  "Keep meditating. We’re gathering the data," Ardyn’s voice echoed in Venix’s mind, laced with enthusiasm.

  Thanks to Venix’s unique situation, Grandmaster Ardyn and the researchers were achieving unprecedented results.

  With the hypothesis that a Seed Origin could function as an Awaken’s Astral Body, they were developing advanced meditation techniques focused on strengthening the bond between a Seed Origin and its host.

  Grandmaster Ardyn had even summoned Grandmaster Orion to further investigate these findings.

  When it came to research and technique development, Orion was unparalleled.

  \---

  In the depths of his soul, Venix examined the body of the Seed of Vulture with an intense curiosity. For reasons he couldn’t explain, the scene felt oddly familiar.

  "So, I just need to keep meditating, and they’ll pick up the signals from my soul to collect data?" Venix murmured softly.

  At this moment, the Seed of Vulture occupied its throne as the first Seed Origin.

  In the distance, Venix noticed a dark shadow moving slowly. When his eyes focused, he realized it was the Seed of Chaos, standing with an almost imperceptible yet terrifying presence.

  The Seed of Chaos had taken a humanoid form, its pitch-black body oozing ink-like fluid from every pore. Nine tentacles extended from its back, writhing as if they had minds of their own. Its glowing red eyes pierced through the darkness, radiating an unspoken menace.

  Venix observed the Seed of Chaos with a heavy heart.

  Sensing his gaze, the Seed of Chaos turned and locked eyes with Venix!

  The body of the Vulture, controlled by Venix, trembled slightly before he quickly averted his gaze, unwilling to look at the Seed of Chaos any longer.

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  "Let’s take a walk," Venix whispered.

  Without further thought, the Vulture’s body shot away from its throne, gliding rapidly through the void of his soul’s ocean.

  After leaving the vicinity of the Seed Origin, Venix finally felt a sense of relief.

  "The Seed of Chaos is far more terrifying than the last time I faced it!" Venix muttered, the lingering fear still clutching at him.

  As the Seed of Chaos had stared at him, Venix had felt a creeping chill, as though the nine tentacles were slithering through the air, brushing against him with an unspoken threat, waiting to ensnare him.

  \---

  Once Venix had calmed his inner turmoil, he became aware of a faint sensation above him.

  "Hmm? What’s this? Why do I feel a certain connection up there?" Venix lifted his gaze, looking not at a typical sky but at the void within his soul, as though searching for something unseen.

  "The human soul mirrors the body’s structure. The Seed Origin is located below the soul’s abdomen, and above that lies the chest or head of the soul," Venix murmured softly. "The Astral Body is born in the soul’s head. Could this faint connection be my Astral Body?"

  A theory began to form in his mind.

  He had lost his Astral Body. But what if he could restore it, this time in the form of the Astral of Vulture?

  What Venix was experiencing was something entirely new, an uncharted territory no one had ever explored.

  As such, the current situation was something Venix had to navigate on his own!

  With determination, Venix soared higher, ascending deeper into the recesses of his soul.

  If he could restore his Astral Body, it would be an incredible achievement!

  The Vulture under Venix's control continued to fly upward, passing through the chest of his soul, then through the throat.

  Finally, Venix reached the head of his soul and was greeted by a shocking sight!

  "What is that?!" Venix exclaimed in astonishment.

  In the head of his soul, Venix saw a portal radiating a gentle light.

  Beyond the portal stretched a mesmerizing world: an expanse of lush green meadows as far as the eye could see, with a towering tree reaching into the sky, its sprawling branches painting the heavens. A mysterious energy pulsed from this world, as though calling Venix to enter.

  Venix had never heard of another world existing within the soul apart from the Origin Fragment Realm. This was entirely outside his knowledge.

  Hovering closer, Venix stood directly before the portal.

  "This... looks familiar..." Venix murmured softly.

  The view of the world beyond the portal evoked a strange sense of familiarity within him.

  Venix touched the portal with the wings of the Vulture, encountering no resistance or danger.

  Frowning slightly, Venix moved his entire body forward and stepped fully into the portal.

  In an instant, Venix landed on the green meadow—the world beyond the portal.

  "What is this place?" Venix frowned, glancing around.

  In this verdant world, two distinct areas stood out.

  The first was a small forest filled with diverse trees, their leaves ranging in color from green, yellow, and black, to other shades. Even their trunks varied widely.

  In the other area, Venix saw an enormous tree towering like a World Tree.

  The tree's trunk gleamed green. From afar, Venix could feel a faint connection linking him to the tree.

  "Could this be some hidden power unknown to Awaken? Beyond the Origin Fragment Realm, is there another world buried within one's soul?" Venix pondered with a furrowed brow.

  Driven by curiosity and the instincts he had fused with the Vulture, Venix decided to fly closer to the massive tree.

  At this moment, Venix could fully sense the vast difference between an Awaken unconnected to their Seed Origin and one who was bonded to theirs.

  The difference was like night and day—utterly incomparable.

  When bonded with a Seed Origin, particularly one with a strong combat aspect, it heightened the user’s instincts and senses in battle to extraordinary levels.

  This was why Awaken, even on Earth, adapted rapidly to combat with others of their kind, regardless of prior experience.

  Before long, Venix reached the base of the colossal tree and saw strange fruits scattered around its roots.

  Intrigued, Venix approached the fruits and sniffed them cautiously. Detecting nothing amiss, and driven by curiosity, he took a small bite of one.

  A refreshing sensation coursed through his body instantly. Venix felt a surge of energy vibrating through him, filling every fiber of his being with an exhilarating vitality.

  Simultaneously, fragments of information embedded themselves in his mind.

  [Heavenly Scholar Technique (Mastery Lv0): 0.20%]

  "Hm?" Venix was startled. "The Heavenly Scholar Technique? Isn't this the name of the Great Origin Technique given to me by Grandmaster Orion?!"

  Venix quickly recalled the Great Origin Technique he had received from Grandmaster Orion.

  One by one, the memories came flooding back.

  When he received the jade stone containing the Great Origin Technique, the system had informed him that the technique’s contents could be stored in exchange for a large number of Resource Points.

  Venix wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he last lost consciousness, but the system only needed six hours to steal the technique, meaning it had already been securely stored within his mind!

  "Wait! Does that mean this portal is the manifestation of the stolen Great Origin Technique?" Venix exclaimed in shock. "Is this the result of copying a sealed technique in secret?"

  Venix remembered the system mentioning that the technique's contents would be stored within his soul. However, he never anticipated it would manifest like this!

  Seeing this result, Venix realized he would need his Astral Body to gradually comprehend the stolen Great Origin Technique.

  Without the Astral Body, it would be impossible to access the stolen technique!

  "Who created this system?! All the information I get is so vague! Now I have to figure out where the technique’s knowledge is stored?!" Venix muttered, frustrated.

  Without his Astral Body, he might only be able to grasp the truth once he reached the Seedbound level and fully comprehended this power.

  And that would depend on his ability to reach the Seedbound stage using the Seed of Vulture, not the Seed of Chaos.

  Deeply frustrated, Venix tried various methods to unlock the secrets of the Great Origin Technique.

  Every step he took was marked by doubt but also by unyielding determination. He knew this tree was not just a source of knowledge but also the key to the power he needed to confront the uncertainties in his life.

  Approaching the massive tree trunk, Venix touched it with his wing. Instantly, subtle information began flowing into his mind.

  "So, I simply need to connect directly with this tree." Venix nodded.

  Still in his bird form, Venix sat down, leaning against the colossal tree trunk as he began studying the Great Origin Technique methodically.

  Five minutes later, Venix realized the information was coming in too slowly. He then tried spreading his energy throughout his body to envelop the tree trunk.

  Immediately, the flow of information quickened!

  "It worked!" Venix exclaimed excitedly, shutting his eyes once more to immerse himself in his studies.

  Grandmaster Ardyn had mentioned that this technique was so powerful that even a Primecore like him felt envious of it. Given this rare opportunity, even if it had been stolen, Venix couldn’t let this chance slip away.

  And so, Venix plunged deeper into the sea of knowledge within his soul.

  The more Venix studied, the faster he absorbed and understood the technique.

  What Venix didn’t notice, however, was that as his understanding deepened, tiny fibers of the tree trunk—almost invisible to the naked eye—began to darken into a purplish-black hue.

  If Grandmaster Orion were to witness this, even if he had willingly handed over the technique, he would have been utterly shocked.

  This was because Venix had successfully stolen the technique itself!

  The Great Origin Technique wasn’t just any ordinary technique; it was intrinsically linked to something mysterious, and its creator was the true owner of the technique.

  Though others could learn it, the true owner retained the ability to sever anyone’s connection to it, erasing the technique from their minds.

  This was why Grandmaster Orion had no fear of it being stolen, as he held absolute control over it.

  Yet, what Venix had accomplished was different!

  By studying the technique from Grandmaster Orion, Venix had fundamentally altered the essence of the Great Origin Technique itself.

  Thus, if Venix succeeded in claiming this great tree as his own, it would be equivalent to creating his own version of the Great Origin Technique, independent of Grandmaster Orion’s original!

  It was as though Venix had stolen another’s novel, published it, and claimed it as his own work.

  And, somehow, the world would believe it was truly Venix’s creation.

  Even if Venix's version was compared side-by-side with the original, people would see them as distinct works, despite their similarities in content.